Movie Man: 2010's best movies include lions, talking dogs

When I started writing this column, way back in 1994, my annual list of the year’s best tapes (yes, tapes) was almost always identical to the list of the previous year’s best films.

Will Pfeifer

When I started writing this column, way back in 1994, my annual list of the year’s best tapes (yes, tapes) was almost always identical to the list of the previous year’s best films. But now, with dozens of movies, old and new, arriving on DVD and Blu-ray each week, compiling this list is tougher — and a lot more fun.

There’s no way I could list all the noteworthy releases of 2010 in this column, but here are a few of my favorites.

“Toy Story 3” — Wrapping up the greatest movie trilogy of all-time (yes, I said it), this final chapter in the life of Woody, Buzz and the gang manages to be hilarious (the Ken and Barbie scenes), harrowing (the toys face certain doom in the junkyard) and heartfelt (Andy discovers Woody in the box). Every element, from animation to screen writing to voice acting, is pitch-perfect, making it arguably Pixar’s best movie. The Blu-ray includes the usual Pixar wealth of extras.

“Four Lions” — British writer/director Chris Morris takes the touchy topic of terrorism and dares to make a comedy about it. What’s really daring about “Four Lions,” though, is that it makes its characters human, meaning that your feelings about their plan to bomb the London Marathon are more mixed than you might think. Strong performances all around, and an ending that doesn’t compromise one bit — even if it means leaving the comedy behind. (“Four Lions” played briefly here in the states, but it’s available on a British Blu-ray — which is how I saw it. It should be on DVD here soon.)

“Night of the Hunter” — The greatest movie ever directed by a guy who only directed one movie (Charles Laughton), this 1955 film got a deluxe release from Criterion. Besides a crisp print of the movie, a commentary track and making-of features, it also features footage of Laughton directing his actors. Now that’s something I never expected to see.

“Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World” — I loved this movie in the theater, but I love it even more on Blu-ray, where director Edgar Wright and company pack the disc with tons of extras. Commentary tracks? Four! Deleted scenes? You bet! A trivia track? Check! Making-of doc? Sure! And that’s just scratching the very tip of the digital iceberg. Best of all, the movie itself rewards repeat viewings.

“Five Star Final” and “-30-” — Warner Bros. released dozens of great DVDs this year through its on-demand Archives label, but these are my two favorites — a pair of fast-paced newspaper dramas, one from the 1930s, one from the 1950s. Edward G. Robinson leads a sleazy rag in “Final” and Jack Webb performs similar duties in “-30-,” but that’s where the similarities end — except that they’re both great.

“The Dogville Shorts” – OK, here’s one more Warner Archives release, collecting the bizarre short films the studio released way back in 1929 and 1930. Featuring dogs in costumes (and on hind legs!) spoofing then-current movies, they’re some of the strangest things I’ve ever seen. I don’t know how often I’ll watch them, but I’m sure glad they’re in my collection.

“The Six Million Dollar Man” — Now this is how a TV show should be collected: Every single episode, every single TV movie, dozens of behind-the-scenes features and a box that recites the show’s opening narration — “We can rebuild him ...” Now if I could only set aside the time to watch all 40 DVDs.

“Fantastic Mr. Fox” — Wes Anderson’s stop-motion adaptation was ignored at the box office, but at home — and especially on Blu-ray — it’s one of the most beautiful films I’ve seen in years. Every frame is packed with loving detail, and the story is the sort of typical Anderson tale that combines outrageous humor with moments of deep emotional power.

“Look Around You” — This deadpan parody of science programs proves that the British do comedy like no one else. Whether the series is covering math (the highest number is 45 billion) or sulfur (mixing it with champagne can give you heat vision), it’s all delightfully absurd and played perfectly straight. Which, of course, is what makes it so funny.

“House of the Devil” and “Black Dynamite” — Two movies that bring back bygone eras in film and have a lot of fun doing it. “Devil” is a wonderfully creepy recreation of early ’80s horror that meticulously builds suspense, then releases it in a shocking ending. “Black Dynamite” takes every cliche of the ’70s blaxploitation era and crams them into a single, suitably silly plot. Both are worth a look — especially if you’re a nostalgic film fan at heart.

Will Pfeifer writes about DVDs for the Rockford (Ill.) Register Star on Saturdays. Contact him at wpfeifer@rrstar.com or 815-987-1244. Read his blog at blogs.e-rockford.com/movieman/.

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